Set at a comprehensive school in a fictional north London suburb, Grange Hill was one of the longest running shows in British television history. Mustafa laughs wearily. The star also hosted a Grange Hill cast reunion in a nightclub in Leicester Square back in 2009. "The national press were advertising the fact that they couldn't find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. Since then he has made. It was great fun; it made me the person I am today. . Paula-Ann's edgy character Claire caused a stir by fantasising about teacher MrHopwood in her diary, who was then attached by her overprotective father. Oh yes. He's appeared in Casualty and CBBC show Mile High and had a long-term relationship with Tina Mahon who played Ronnie Birtles. George has also appeared in numerous theatre productions, including some he's written himself and is currently working on a stage version of Papillion. On a Welsh trip, Roland got lost and met the farmer, who taught him some Welsh. "The national press were advertising the fact that they couldnt find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. leaving it . It was basically another comedy, exactly the same as what I had written! I lost touch with Lisa York (Julie) for a long time, but with the Bring Back show, we became friends again. A friend of mine runs SchoolDisco.com and I already knew what was happening. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. John said it was about time we all met up again, so I said Id see what I could do. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Gripper wrote on the board that Roland is a headcase and that he goes to the shrink, which prompted Roland to bunk off school yet again. Ive written an episode about it. In terms of the character, I think Roland really really did like the fact that someone cared for him and basically hed push Janet away, knowing that shed come back. But the BBC turned it down and I feel theyve let the public down. Janet was such a helpful character; even though she got on Rolands nerves, I think he loved it really. The love that he had for the show was amazing. Roland attempted to stand up to Gripper by fighting him in the bathroom, but was not capable enough to overpower him and Gripper floored Roland. It was one of the longest-running programmes on British TV, finally ending in 2008. The show focused on dealing with issues like bullying and learning difficulties in a fictional school in the fictional borough of Northam. Were they actually even friends and how did you get on with Simone who played Janet? Michelle played bad girl Trisha Yates in the school drama from 1978 to 1982 but after leaving Grange Hill, Michelle gave up acting and worked for a major sweet manufacturer. Id already sent him my script and he said to come in for a chat. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. He recalls that it was quite nerve-racking. Fans loved how despite horrific bullying, the youngster always stood up for himself and discovered he had a talent for foreign languages. Im going to be seeing Simone for the first time in about 20 years, this month, and its just going to be amazing. I said to Simone that I thank her for that and she told me to shut up! Looking back, later on in life, it had no effect on me. The sixth series of the British television drama series Grange Hill began broadcasting on 4 January 1983 before ending on 4 March 1983 on BBC One. I dont remember much about arriving there, apart from the amount of security. In October 2015, Terry was sadly found dead at his London home, aged 50, following a battle with alocholism. Actor John Holmes left the show to complete his education and studied at the University of East Anglia, where he eventually became president of the Student Union for several years. I remember a scene I had in which Roland was supposed to be playing basketball. Diane K. Young. Autor de l'entrada Per ; Data de l'entrada columbia university civil engineering curriculum; hootan show biography . "The national press were advertising the fact that they couldnt find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. The most popular faces from the early days of pioneering children's drama Grange Hill are reunited. Its a shame they didnt have 45 minutes of it. Certain episodes. He made his first appearance in episode 1 of series 5 and made his final appearance in episode 18 of series 6. The star had actually trained as a teacher but never taught in the classroom, as she decided to pursue acting instead. What was that experience like . The Grange Hill cast then and now: Erkan Mustafa who played Roland 'Roly' Browning (Image: HullLive) Erkan, now 50, played one of the most popular stars of the show.. His character Roly. She reached out to shake our hands. Mustafa told Grange Hill Gold: "I was just a normal child attending school. It would get a good response, but its just a case of getting the Grange Hill fans to know about it. Something went wrong, please try again later. Its really surreal that these people I havent met in ages have just appeared! I was talking to Ricky Simmonds (Ant) and said we could have a programme here. Actor John Alford played happy go lucky Robbie Wright between 1985 and 1991. Terry Sue-Patt, who played Benny Green, was one of Grange Hill's first-generation cast - Tucker's sidekick - but he and MacDonald overlapped for one series, and MacDonald had known Sue-Patt at. . shows hes done. "The national press were advertising the fact that they couldnt find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. That was a changing point in his development, where he became a lot more confident. The inspiring actor turned the once bullied youth into someone people looked up too. Roland Browning was Grange Hills fat kid. Grange Hill's Zammo actor Lee MacDonald marries his girlfriend Jess as he shares beaming wedding day snaps - two Grange Hill actress Gwyneth Powell, known to millions as headmistress Mrs. McClusky, has died aged 76 after undergoing major surgery for a Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, TN residents say Jack Daniel's distillery spews black mold, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' We gave each other Christmas presents. Playing the popular rebel won her the part of Michelle Fowler in EastEnders which she played for a decade. The very first episode we ever filmed was the Chessington Zoo episode. The proper message, though, was an anti-drugs one, taking on first lady Nancy Reagans campaign catchphrase, Just Say No. No. No. Sign up for the Daily Star TV newsletter for the biggest TV news. Theyd shout out strange obscenities, but thats part and parcel of being an actor and playing a character. Todd Carty, 57, remains one of the show's most famous alumni having remained on TV screens since the first series aired in 1978. Lee MacDonald - Zammo Maguire MacDonald, who joined the show age 13, went on to have one of the biggest storylines in the school's history when he became addicted to heroin. At the time it was Anthonys baby, to cover that whole story and he just supervised it so well. He was a single child. You could have ex cast members being interviewed. Roland 'Roly' Browning - Erkan . It was exciting; going into a recording studio, never done that before. Following the show, Erkan made appearances at three Grange Hill reunions: ITV This Morning's reunion in 1998, the Bring Back Grange Hill programme in 2005, and he hosted a cast reunion at Sound nightclub in Leicester Square in 2009. It was created by Phil Redmond, who also went on to create Brookside and Hollyoaks. Alford's case was among those taken up by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. I find it bizarre that some people dont look back on their time at Grange Hill fondly. The first scene would be a hand writing out letters (though it would probably be email or Facebook now) saying did you want to meet up again. I didnt know he was going; and he didnt know I was going. In January were doing something for Mercedes. with Lenny Henry as well as several episodes of Blackadder. Taking to Twitter, he said: 'Deeply saddened by the news of a dear friend Terry Sue-Patt passing away. . Were talking about the most protected building in the world, where a president cant even get a blow job without the rest of the world knowing. He also had minor roles in other TV shows including Desmonds, General Hospital and Jackanory. Thats what its all about ; you dont have to be in each others pockets all the time to remain wonderful friends. We did one for the Rainbow Trust and then in October something in Luton for a special baby care unit. Gordon 'Jonah' Jones, was a student at Grange Hill, from 1982 to 1983, played by Lee Sparke. There was always animosity between stage schools at one point and I think at the time there was arguments about You only get invited because your mums a chaperone or You only get invited because . We always got on well. Followed about by the ever helpful Janet, Rolands time at Grange Hill saw him develop from an unhappy eleven year old to a more confident teenager. Published: 13:03 GMT, 13 January 2021 | Updated: 13:24 GMT, 13 January 2021. Its ranging from George Armstrong (Alan) to people from much later, that I didnt even know on Grange Hill. Now I know I get more pleasure from writing than acting. She doesnt know what shes missing!! The national press were advertising the fact that they couldnt find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. @. . She's a mother-of-two and is also an ambassador for the Good Grief Trust. I get asked Were you Roland in Grange Hill? and I say No, Im Erkan from Stratford. That always gets a giggle. It first aired on BBC1 on February 8 1978. Bullied by others, only child Roland struggled to fit in at Grange Hill. who played Tucker, Janet actress Simone Nylander, and Erkan Mustafa, who starred as Roland. When I first heard about it, I was 15 or 16 and I thought this is a bit too much for a childrens show. Janet St. Clair noticed that Roland had started having school dinners. 5. The BBC had to take a ceratin group and unfortunately others were left behind. Hotels near Mayow Park, London on Tripadvisor: Find traveler reviews, 50,085 candid photos, and prices for 2,499 hotels near Mayow Park in London, England. Lee was disgusted with the plans and didn't sign up for the new series. Because of her success on the small screen record company bosses eyed Paula-Ann as a potential British Kylie and she even released a cover version of The Locomotion. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. Simone played the role of Calley in Grange Hill for six years, appearing in the very first episode of the show. A lot of fan-mail that I received was from people who had been bullied and people felt really sorry for the character, saying he should stand up for himself. 'I had a great time, getting time off school to play football. The original show provided early TV exposure for some future stars,. Get in touch with us at webcelebs@trinitymirror.com or call us direct at 0207 29 33033. . Sign up for the free Mirror Showbiz newsletter. On an orienteering trip Roland declines Janet's offer to pair up to complete an exercise and winds up paired with Mr Baxter. The show followed the lives of a school based in North London, and dealt with hard-hitting storylines following themes of drugs, racism, crime, mental health, and death. It had an affect on people out there. A lot of characters get invited to the reunion, and people dont actually know who sent the original letter. Roland's most memorable storylines included being the victim of sustained bullying by school thug Gripper Stebson and forming friendships with Zammo McGuire, Fay Lucas and Janet St. Clair. There were 2000 people actually went for the role and I think the reason I got it, was because I was quite a shy child at one point, and the fact that I wore glasses. Caroline 'Calley' Donnington - Simone Hyams Simone Hymas is best known for her role as Calley in Grange Hill, which she starred in from 1985 until 1991. Ive done things that other people have never done in their life, but most of all, Ive come out with some good friends. A teacher put me up for the role and said Go on. Lee has made several TV appearances since leaving Grange Hill, including an episode of The Bill in which his love interest was played by Melissa Wilkes - who also played his girlfriend Jackie Wright in Grange Hill. The TV star also worked as a presenter for E4 Music and previously did some interviews and presenting for a film website. He went on to appear in Brookside as Little Jimmy Corkhill. He played the character for six years. Do you have a message for the thousands of Grange Hill fans out there? A few years ago, Channel 4 reunited some of the cast for Bring Back Grange Hill. After sixyears as Zammo, Lee left Grange Hill with critical acclaim for his portrayal of Zammo. Do you keep in touch with anyone from your time on Grange Hill? Ann Wilson was one of Grange Hill's original female pupils and wasted no time in getting herself voted onto the school council. Set at a comprehensive school in a fictional north London suburb, Grange Hill was one of the longest running and most influential shows in British TV history. What did I have, the Freedom of the White House?. As I tell everybody else . People dont realise that. Roly even had a knack for foreign languages. He said: 'I basically played myself in Grange Hill. Did you expect the character of Roland to stick with you for so long? . Annette Firman had been taunting Roland about his weight, but he had also been unkind to Diane Cooney about her spots. They even had the same name for the restaurant that Id wrote! At the time there was some animosity on the set because only certain people on the set got invited to America. In the show, his character found the courage to defend himself against bullies and became an inspiration to young viewers. Obviously at the time we had a great, great writer, Anthony Minghella, who went on to bigger and better things, God rest his soul. Thats what the whole episode was about. He also hosted a Grange Hill cast reunion in a nightclub in Leicester Square back in 2009. Who died in the swimming pool in Grange Hill? Lee MacDonald - Zammo Maguire MacDonald, who joined the show age 13, went on to have one of the biggest storylines in the school's history when he became addicted to heroin. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Roland (played by Erkan Mustafa from 1982 to 1987) is finding it hard to adjust on his first day at Grange Hill (episode 1 of series 5), and has a nasty encounter with bully Gripper Stebson. Roland Browning was Grange Hill's 'fat kid'. She was very welcoming, she was warm. alfabeto fonetico italiano pronuncia. So thats really good ; Ive spoken to her on the phone a couple of times. Nobody really remembers the cross over between Tuckers year and my year; the Mark Burdiss (Stewpot) era. The fact that I want to help you Ro-Land was a catch phrase. Was it difficult to play these scenes? The building is awesome as you walk up. And the rest is history basically. There were some great scenes that were cut, that were really really good. In an interview, somebody asked me if there was an episode of a Grange Hill school reunion, what would happen? Erkan is also a writer and director. . He also gave Roland a Welsh dictionary. The fact that Im always going to look like Roland, unless I become slimmer of the year and change my whole body image means people will always recognise me as him. READ MORE: Call the Midwife icon Stephen McGann's co-star wife, 3 famous brothers and Emmerdale role. But what became of the actor who played him? Roland's best friends are Zammo McGuire, Jonah Jones and Kevin Baylon and his friends are Fay Lucas, Janet St. Clair, Annette Firman, Jimmy Flynn, Belinda Zowkowski, Julie Marchant, Diane Cooney, Jackie Wright, Banksy Banks, Julian Fairbrother and Cheryl Webb. I was always a completely different personality to Roland. danny kendall grange hill. For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here. He later appeared in Blackadder's Christmas Carol in 1988, and in Lenny Henry's sitcom Chef! Regardless of getting into trouble Roland would continue to bunk off school and also faced numerous threats from Gripper. Click here to upload yours. The young actors were there as part of the first ladys anti-drugs campaign but one later claimed to have smoked a joint in the garden. He struggled to return to his previous success after being released but has had small parts since. But his fortunes turned when he was written out after being caught in a drugs sting. I had a conversation with Anothony Minghella (Script Editor) and said theres no way Roland would ever be playing basketball. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. GRANGE Hill's Zammo, Tucker, Roland and Janet look unrecognisable in a 'mini reunion' picture. They should have done a whole Grange Hill 30th Anniversary celebration. He was one of the 'enormous orphans' in the Christmas Carol episode. Was there any storyline you didnt enjoy doing? Thanks very much to Erkan Mustafa for taking part in this interview. She continued acting with small roles in The Bill and No Strings in the Eighties and Nineties and last appeared on British TV screens in London's Burning in 2001. Erkan Mustafa (born 14 May 1970) is a British actor and television presenter of Turkish Cypriot descent, [1] most noted for the part of Roland Browning in Grange Hill ( BBC 1982-1987). I dont get over to see him much, but Ive met his wife and I was invited to their wedding. A few notable people who starred in the show include Todd Carty (Mark Fowler in EastEnders ), Gary Love (Casualty), Lee MacDonald (The Bill) and John Alford (London's Burning). They played best friends Tucker Jenkins and Benny Green. They smothered him and basically spoilt him. . So never say never! I never thought all those years ago that we would even be friends. It should have been a huge thing. Half the time people would come up to me in the street and say You should fight Gripper. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Erkan starred alongside other famous faces including former EastEnders star Todd Carty who played Peter 'Tucker' Jenkins, Casualty's Amanda Mealing, who portrayed Tracy Edwards and Lee MacDonald as Samuel 'Zammo' McGuire. They remember Pogo, but if you ask people they will say they only remember Roland and Zammo. She noticed a small dimple on her breast while on holiday in Rome in May 2015. I felt that was quite good really. Photograph: BBC Shortcuts Grange Hill Just say no! Its about forgetting the past, and its the past who made us who we are today. We dont even really talk about Grange Hill ; its just where we grew up really. He reunited with some of his Grange Hill class mates for Channel 4's Bring Back Grange Hill and also works for a taxi firm. 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Me and Ricky have met so many times, and we speak at least once a month. It really bugs me. Its one of the things you just deal with. Ive come out with great experiences. He also runs a locksmith business in Wallington, Surrey. Thirty years on, Roland and Zammo reveal all. The hit teen show, which ran between 1978 and 2008, focused on life in a. When I left Grange Hill it was only really Ricky who I kept in touch with, and Amma Asante (Cheryl) for about 12 or 15 years. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA. Was it difficult to play these scenes? personal? I took it to a friend of mine who was the head of Light Entertainment at Channel 4. You come up with conversations and it just spurred me on. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Looking at it now, we were the chosen ones; we were lucky to get it. Grange Hill star Gwyneth Powell passed away at the age of 76 Credit: BBC 10 The actress played headmistress Bridget McClusky for 10 years until 1991 Credit: Rex The late actress died aged 76. Well-meaning pupil Janet makes it her mission to help Roland, but he finds her constant nagging irritating. Thats another person Im meeting up with next week. She went on to appear in The Bill, Baywatch and had a role in 1993 film Dirty Weekend. There was an episode where we sing Captain Sensible and dance to it ; God how cringing! Most people dont want any publicity or any press involved, but I could probably film some of it and do it as a podcast. Naomi Campbell was an extra on the show. Fast forward nearly three decades later, the 52-year-old actor looks unrecognisable from his appearance on the show. 72 episodes, 1982-1987 Lisa York . I say that to everybody in life! The show followed the lives of a school based in North London, and dealt with hard-hitting storylines following themes of drugs, racism, crime, mental health, and death. The Grange Hill gang meet Nancy Reagan in 1986. You were a key character in the Zammo/Drugs storyline. After leaving the school drama in 1987, he went on to act in two series of Chef! Todd Carty said he was 'deeply saddened' by the sudden death of his Grange Hill co-star. It was exciting; going into a recording studio, never done that before. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Erkan Mustafa found fame in the Eighties as Roland 'Roly' Browning who was bullied for being obese. You should beat him up, the other half people would just come up and abuse me, thinking it was fun. Now 75, actress Gwyneth Powell went on to act in shows including A Touch of Frost, Casualty, Doctors and. . The class clown was at the centre of one of the most talked about storylines on Grange Hill when his character developed a dangerous heroin addiction in the mid-80s. RD's first wife, Anna [Teasdale]; sharing Notting Hill Gate flat . There was an episode where there was a school disco and they were playing Spandau Ballets True (another song I cant stand!). He told me that theyd already been approached to hold an evening with the cast of Grange Hill. Roland Browning, played by Erkan Mustafa, was a legendary character on the show, tackling sensitive issues like bullying between 1982 until 1987. . Susan, 54, is extremely. In reality, only 3 years later, we had the whole beginning of the ecstasy movement. Gripper discovered Roland attending the psychologist and when Roland was unable to come up with a full payment to Gripper, Gripper plotted to expose Roland to his class. Erkan, who starred in the show from 1982 until 1987, said: "I was just a normal child attending school. Erkan, who is now also a writer and director, also landed appeared in several episodes of Blackadder - where he played one of the "enormous orphans" in the Christmas Carol episode. His Grange Hill character was so popular, he was given his own spin-off show Tucker's Luck from 1983 to 1985. Its because they think they are better than Grange Hill. Erkan, who is now also a writer and director, also appeared in several episodes of Blackadder, where he played one of the "enormous orphans" in the Christmas Carol episode. I know when Lee got approached, he thought Well, Ive got to do my research. A recovered Roland returned for the new school year, although Gripper showed no mercy for him and made clear to Roland that he still wants paying from him. Roland Browning / . We have to ask you about Rolands friendship with Janet. and also made appearances onSoccer AMandCelebrity Juice. The storylines focused on hard-hitting issues for its time - including teenage pregnancy to alcoholism and drug addictions. In April 2019, it was announced that he would appear in the BBC soap opera EastEndersas Terry. I said no but I could remember the first 3, so I said those and she said Youre probably the only person who would remember those. He was found lying face down in bed andreports suggested his body may have lain undiscovered for a month. At my age now, 2 years older doesnt make any difference, but when youre 15,16, 17; it does. At the end of the day, if they didnt enjoy it; fair enough, but Grange Hill set you on a path. Following his success in Grange Hill, the actor went on to star in Lenny Henry's 90s sitcom Chef! We didnt grow up too far apart; about a 5 minute walk from each other. Do you have a story for The Sun Showbiz team? Im alright with it as long as people arent rude. Fly to A. merica ; never done that before. Roland didn't hit it off well with the rest of his classmates of other peers at the school, who viewed him as clumsy due to his excess weight.

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